November 22, 2025
Pennsylvania is on track to become the 28th state to adopt the Crown Act.
Pennsylvania is on track to become the 28th state to adopt the Crown Act, a landmark measure that bars discrimination based on natural hair and protective hairstyles. The bill now awaits Gov. Josh Shapiro’s signature after clearing the state Senate with a decisive 44–3 vote.
The legislation — formally known as the “Creating a Respectful Open World for Natural Hair Act” — targets longstanding bias in workplaces and academic settings against styles such as braids, locs, twists, and other natural hair textures commonly worn by Black and brown communities.
House Speaker Joanna McClinton, who has championed the measure alongside state Rep. LaTasha Mayes, said the law addresses a form of discrimination that often goes unnoticed by those who have never had to navigate it. For many Pennsylvanians, she said, hair choices can directly affect whether they’re hired or promoted.
“So many people across Pennsylvania who’ve made decisions like I have … about how I should wear my hair to make sure it doesn’t compromise a job opportunity, it doesn’t make me look a certain way, or that I won’t lose an opportunity to advance my career due to how my hair grows out of my head or how I choose to style it,” McClinton said.
The lawmakers first introduced the bill in 2019, but earlier versions stalled. After repeated attempts and growing national momentum behind similar legislation, this year’s effort gained broad bipartisan support.
As reported by WGAL, community voices have also helped drive the push. Tyrik Jackson, a local barbershop owner who has seen firsthand how grooming standards can police identity, said the bill is long overdue.
“To some of you watching, you may think, of course you’re going to show up in a professional way with a professional style — but what does professional style mean?”
McClinton said in another statement, underscoring how subjective standards often fall hardest on people of color.
Jackson echoed that sentiment, noting how workplace rules can force individuals to cut hair they consider central to their identity. “A haircut does so much for an individual,” he said. “When you have to cut someone’s hair because someone’s job requires them to, it takes away from who they are as an individual … I’m so glad this legislation is passing.”
Gov. Shapiro is expected to sign the bill into law next week, according to McClinton, clearing the way for statewide protections that advocates say will foster greater dignity, fairness, and cultural acceptance.
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